Why Should I Worry About The Mobile-First Web?

Many small businesses are asking “should I care about mobile users?” The answer is yes! In 2016, nearly 60% of search engine traffic came from Mobile devices across all business categories. Several business categories reached much higher, with Restaurants showing that 72% of searchers were using the mobile web.

Those who putting out a stronger mobile presence now are already behind. The traffic, trends, and conversions all show that this is not a fad, but the new paradigm. Who are the major players that created this shift?

Reasons for the Searching Shift

Like other great innovations, the mobile web sprang from consumer need. As smart phones became more prevalent, and started rivaling computers in performance, the need for information on-the-go arose. Apps filled that role for., Then companies hosting both desktop and mobile versions of their site separately. Finally, responsive design stepped in to become the current standard.

Surging Customer Demand

Users didn’t just idly consume mobile data – they were ravenous. The app industry skyrocketed to fill a void left by lackluster online presences. Years later, every industry is feeling the effects. A substantial portion of web traffic everywhere owes attribution to mobile searching.

Even industries known for slow technological adaptation saw mobile searches comprise 39% of their traffic in 2016. It’s become clear that every business, large and small, needs to be thinking mobile to stay relevant.

The Google Push

Searchers pushing for more mobile support eventually led to an announcement by Google. hey let loose their newest search update, and revealed that sites supporting mobile devices were likely to see increased ranks. This changed the landscape, turning what was considered a best practice into a necessity.

With Google representing almost 68% of the US Search Market, catering to the mobile crowd could now mean a difference of thousands of users, if not more.

What is Mobile-First?

The widely accepted definition of Mobile First is the practice of designing a site that focuses primarily on the mobile user experience. In many cases, a good designer will be able to consider both desktop and mobile experiences when creating your site – giving a consistent feel across devices.

How this affects your own business’ site changes for each project. Sometimes, it may involve removing a feature to increase performance. Others, it may involve altering design elements for usability. In most cases, it is possible to create a site that is mobile-first without sacrificing features for desktop users.

How Does Mobile-First Affect the Design Process

Years ago, it was possible for graphic designers and web designers to be almost interchangeable. However, the site design was exactly how it would look. As the mobile web took hold, web design became its own specialization of graphic design.

Suddenly, sites weren’t being made for only one or two screen sizes. There were hundreds of different resolutions available on the consumer market. How can your site look good on almost all of them?

The answer was creating a responsive design; about websites in a new way that allowed for fluid movement. No longer is each element defined by a set size, but surrounded by space that adapts to the screen it is being shown. This change in methodology made it possible for sites to look good at any size!

Is Your Site Responsive?

At MIND, we build every one of our sites with responsive design mechanics from the ground up. Other designers consider it an “extra feature”, but we both know it’s a necessity. Why charge more for something that is a requirement?